Jury Finds Youth Guilty Of Raping 17-year-old

May 4, 1995|By MIKE FOLKS Staff Writer

The girl was abducted at gunpoint and raped in the back seat of her car. A youth who said he was coerced by a gun-toting friend into raping a 17-year-old girl last year was convicted on Wednesday of armed sexual battery and other lesser charges.

A Palm Beach County Circuit Court jury of five women and one man deliberated for just over an hour before convicting David Slocum, 17, of the rape. The jury also convicted Slocum of armed carjacking, armed kidnapping, armed robbery and armed burglary.

In closing arguments on Wednesday, defense attorney Jack Fleischman argued that Slocum's friend, Emmanuel Paul, 17, held a gun on him and forced him to rape the girl after Paul had sexually assaulted her. Paul did so, Fleischman said, so that Slocum could not tell police about the attack.

Prosecutor Jill Estey, however, argued that Slocum was a principal participant in all of the crimes, which occurred on May 15, 1994, in West Palm Beach. Estey said the evidence showed the girl was abducted at gunpoint and raped by Slocum and Paul in the back seat of her car.

Paul and two other co-defendants, Robert Murray, 16, and Bryant Patrick, 19, pleaded guilty last week to armed kidnapping, carjacking, robbery and burglary. Paul and Patrick are awaiting trial on armed sexual battery charges.

An armed sexual battery charge was dismissed last week against Murray, who prosecutors said tried to prevent Paul and Slocum from attacking the girl. Prosecutors said Patrick ran away but did nothing to prevent the rape.